IBM and Ft. Lauderdale partner on first-of-its-kind research initiative

Ft. Lauderdale is partnering with IBM to become the latest city leveraging its crime prevention analytics product line. Initially, the project will focus on increasing the likelihood of deterring crime. Specifically, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department will utilize the new capabilities to better identify where to deploy its resources for maximum impact. The partnership is a first-of-its-kind research and development initiative for the city.

The project will analyze a variety of complex sources of Big Data including 911 call records, crime records, specials events information, public transportation routes, code enforcement and building permit activity. Data will be analyzed using a combination of advanced analytics technologies, including pattern recognition/discovery, factor/causality analysis and anomaly detection.

By using up-to-date information and advanced predictive models, the Police Chief, command staff, and officers will be able to better understand the current situation and trends. They will obtain a deeper level of knowledge regarding possible contributing factors of crimes and foresee the demand for service at a more granular level of time and location. The project will allow police to be more effective and efficient with existing resources. In turn, this will enable the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to move operations from reactive to proactive, leading to a safer city.

City officials will use the solutions to plan patrols, identify resource gaps, and get an understanding of underlying crime factors. CivSource has previously reported on the use of predictive analytics in law enforcement, the Memphis Police Department was one of the first to go this route, and the number of police departments using the technology is growing rapidly.

“We’re entering a new era of police work where advances in technology are providing us with an additional tool to use in our crime prevention efforts.” said Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley.